# Gift cards: issue one, accept it at the till, cancel it

> Turn on gift cards, issue a pre-paid card with a value and a code, take it as payment on a split sale, and cancel a card by refunding the balance or keeping it.

Section: Selling · verified against the product on 2026-10-29

Canonical: https://dashingerp.com/en/help/gift-cards

A gift card is money the customer paid you in advance. The card has a code and a balance, and the balance goes down when it is used at the till.

## Steps

1. Open "Gift cards" from the menu. If you see "The gift-card program is off", press "Enable gift cards".
2. Press "Issue card". In "Issue a gift card" enter the "Value". Leave "Custom code (optional)" empty for an automatic code, or type your own. Add a note if you wish, then press "Issue".
3. Take the cash from the customer. Issuing records it as a cash receipt in this branch's drawer.
4. To use a card at the till, switch to the "Invoice" mode, choose "Split", add the "Gift card" amount and type the "Card code". The balance shows next to it; allocate the rest to cash or card until "Balanced ✓" appears.
5. To look a card up, use "Search by code" in "Issued cards". The status is "Active", "Redeemed", "Expired" or "Cancelled".
6. To cancel a card, open it and press "Cancel the card". Choose "Give back the balance in cash" or "The shop keeps it", then confirm.

## If it doesn't work

- "Card not found": check the code; the search in "Issued cards" shows what exists.
- "Insufficient": the amount asked is above the card's balance; lower the gift-card amount and pay the rest another way.
- "This branch's drawer does not hold enough cash for the refund": cancel with "The shop keeps it" or add cash to the drawer first.
- "This card was never sold, so there is no cash to give back": cancel it without a refund.

## What happens in the books

A kept balance is booked as income. A refund comes out of this branch's drawer.

## Common questions

**Where is the money when I sell a gift card?**

Issuing a card records the cash you received against a gift-card liability, not as revenue. It becomes revenue only if you cancel the card and keep the balance.

**Can a cashier use a gift card?**

Yes, as one leg of a split payment: the cashier types the card code and sees its balance. Issuing and cancelling cards are for the people allowed to open this screen.

## Other languages

- العربية: https://dashingerp.com/help/gift-cards
- کوردی: https://dashingerp.com/ckb/help/gift-cards

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Dashing · https://dashingerp.com/en